Head shave in memory of Grandad raises £500

Charlie Pickles, (16) from Wakefield has raised nearly £500 for Meningitis Research Foundation by having his head shaved at the beginning of February in memory of his granddad Jack Pickles.

Jack, who was 63 and also from Wakefield became ill with an ear infection but was later diagnosed with bacterial meningitis and sadly passed away 17 days later in February 2011 in Pinderfields General hospital with additional complications.

Charlie’s hairdresser Terri from Urban Hair in Rothwell who has been cutting his hair for two years came to the house and shaved off his hair.

Charlie’s mum Sarah Barnett said: “Charlie decided to raise money for MRF because we lost my dad two years ago and he and Charlie were really close. He was like his shadow, they went every were together and Charlie wanted to do something in his memory. My dad dying left a huge hole in our lives and Charlie was devastated and I am so proud of what he has done and want to thank all his family and friends for supporting him in this fundraising event.”

Charlie said: “Losing my granddad to meningitis was a huge shock and I was devastated, my granddad was everything to me, as I grew up with a single mum as a parent, so my granddad was practically a father figure, I decided to raise money in his memory to give something back to a charity which researches the disease.”

Chris Head, Chief Executive of Meningitis Research Foundation said: “Meningitis and septicaemia can affect people of all ages, striking in minutes and sometimes killing in hours. We are so grateful to Charlie for agreeing to shave his head in memory of his granddad and raising such a fantastic sum of money for us. The money raised will allow us to continue our vital research into the prevention, detection and treatment of the diseases and provide support to those who have lost a loved one or face a lifetime of serious disabilities.”